The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), with the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors Toyota, is putting the finishing touches to Rally Qassim 2022, this weekend’s second round of the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship.
Series leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi and German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz head an impressive entry of 45 cars, 23 motorcycles and five quads for the three-day event.
Based in Buraydah, the rally begins with a ceremonial start (14.00hrs) and power stage (15.00hrs) on Wednesday (October 12), followed by desert selective sections of 185km and 123km on Thursday and Friday.
Al-Rajhi the man to beat
Al-Rajhi won the opening round, the Abha-based Aseer Rally, comfortably last month and returns home after finishing fourth overall at last week’s FIA Rally of Morocco. He beat the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi by just 10 seconds when Rally Qassim was held for the first and only time in 2019.
His closest rival is again likely to be Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal, who chased him home in Abha in his self-built Ford F-150 Evo. Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri completed the podium last month and is seeded three with Peruvian co-driver Hector Garcia.
Other potential T1 front-runners include Saudi drivers Khalid Al-Feraihi, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh, Muneef Al-Salmani and Abdullah Al-Haydan.
Other classes
Saleh Al-Saif and Spanish co-driver Oriol Vidal were fourth overall in Abha and won T3 in their Can-Am Maverick. Al-Saif faces three Saudi rivals this weekend: Dania Akeel, Hamad Al-Harbi and Shaker Al-Tuwaijri. Al-Harbi and Akeel were sixth and seventh overall in round one and second and third in T3.
Fourteen Saudi drivers contest T2 for series-production cross-country vehicles. Saudi Border Guard team driver Jafar Al-Qahtani was a superb eighth overall and won the class in round one, ahead of Haylan Al-Subaie and Ahmed Al-Shegawi.
Saeed Al-Mouri beat Maha Al-Hameli in T4 in round one, and both return in their Can-Ams to face Mishal Al-Shammeri.
Ibrahim Al-Muhanna brings his familiar Mercedes truck as the only T5 entry, with crew members Osama Al-Sanad and Raed Abu Theeb. The trio won their class at the 2019 event.
The KTM pairing of Mishal Al-Ghuneim and Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera head the 23 motorcycles, which include Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet, the UAE’s Othman Al-Ghefeli and Qatar-based riders Mohammed Al-Kaabi, Martin Chalmers and Gerard Lubbinge.
Haitham Al-Tuwaijri faces Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi, Hani Al-Noumesi, Abdulaziz Al-Atawi and Abdulaziz Al-Shammeri in an experienced five-strong field of Yamaha quad riders. Al-Khulaifi topped the quads at the first Rally Qassim three years ago.
After administrative checks and scrutineering on Tuesday, the rally starts from Dates City in the centre of Buraydah, capital of the Al-Qassim region, from 14.00hrs on Wednesday.
Rally Qassim 2022 runs under the chairmanship of H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal and the supervision of former FIA Middle East rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab.
The four-round Saudi Toyota Rally Championship concludes with the Ha’il Baja (November 10-12) and the Jeddah Rally (December 15-17).